Top Gun: Red Skies
by J.G. Whitefield
Summary: Lt. Dave "Ghost" Grant and his WSO Capt. Paul "Too Tall" Murray are granted a once in a lifetime shot at attending The Naval Fighter Weapons School: Top Gun. Ego's will clash over the covetted Top Gun trophy and "Ghost" will have to tangle with the best of the best including his new Top Gun instructor call sign "Maverick".


**Any names and actual likeness to real persons living or dead is strictly coincidence. Top Gun is the respected property of Paramount Pictures, Tony Scott, Jim Cash, and Jack Epps Jr. F/A-18 Super Hornet (c) Boeing Company. **

* * *

On March 3, 1969 the United States Navy established  
an elite school for the top one percent of its pilots.  
Its purpose was to teach the lost art or aerial combat  
and to insure that the handful of men who graduated  
were the best fighter pilots in the world.

They succeeded.

Today, the Navy calls it The Fighter Weapons School.  
The flyers call it:

**TOP GUN**

* * *

A high pitch distinctive howl from two General Electric F414-GE-400 turbofans cut's through the ocean spray as the USS Ronald Reagan deck crew readies for another launch. Several Green shirts prep the steam catapult amidst the treacherous jungle of jet intakes, sharp edges, and whirling rotor-blades. Thumbs up, the 47,000lb creature knelt down, not submissively but rather unyielding, ready to leap into the frigid air to prove it's worth. The crew, having the utmost trust in the Bug's handlers, grabbed the cockpit frame, ready for the explosion of adrenaline and G's accompanying the near stand still to 130mph in 3secs. A yellow shirt bowed giving the launch signal. The grey metallic beast belched white hot flames as it rocketed sky wards the vibrations from 44,000lbs of thrust jolting the skeletal structures of even most accustomed deck hands. The Super Hornet vanished into the titian horizon.

"Thunderchief, this is Zebra 2 requesting immediate vector, over." Too Tall looked out at the excellent visibility, there are few day's you're granted such a wondrous view. Being the Bug's WSO (Weapons Systems Operator) enabled Too Tall the chance to relax and take in the scenery as the jet's computers did most of his work for em'.

"Zebra 2, this is Thundercheif we got you at about 540Knots your vector should be about 600nm on the money. Good luck out there."

Too Tall: "Copy that Thundercheif, keep the bar open for us."

USS Ronald Reagan: "Will do Zebra 2."

Too Tall: "I can't believe they got us hauling our sorry asses out on another training sortie. We're about due for some shore leave am I right Ghost?"

Ghost: "Hey easy there Tall we got a job to do out here. Plus, this is the perfect chance for some ACM!"

Ghost kept his hands on the stick and throttle as the Super Hornet purred along nicely. All the avionics were nominal the perfect opportunity to see if ole' Too Tall would get motion sick.

Too Tall: "Please Ghost no ACM today…I just had a damn steak omelet an hour ago."

Ghost: "Sorry Tall…gotta get a feel for the old girl."

Too Tall: "Damnit Ghost!"

Ghost gently brought the controls forward flexing the afterburners as the Bug shot to a near 90 degree climb. He then inverted the combat aircraft into a pirouette, it's body rotating around a an area about the size of an Olympic swimming pool with ease.

Too Tall: "Oh shit!"

Ghost: "Nice day for a min-turn eh Tall!?"

Too Tall: "No-not a min-turn, anything but a min-turn!"

Ghost: "Too late!"

The Super Hornet abruptly turned at about 450mph, each naval aviators body was subjected to over 7 G's of force or about the equivalent of having a large elephant sitting on top of them. Ghost could see his WSO struggling to reach the air-sick bag on his G-suit. The sustained G's coupled with the inflated g-suit made for a comical attempt by Too Tall to relieve his twisted gut. The Super Hornet leveled off at about 30,000 feet above the hard deck.

Ghost: "Hahaha! You my friend owe me a case of Wild Turkey. Think the bet was that you could hold it for at least 1min this time around."

Too Tall: "Yeah, yeah, yeah, very funny Ghost. You're just lucky I didn't puke on the damn flight displays bastard."

The fun was soon cut short as the comm. link crackled to life.

USS Ronald Reagan: "Zebra 2, Zebra 2, we've got some unknown bogeys closing in at vector 580. Advise immediate change in flight plan"

Too Tall: "Copy that Thunderchief. Zebra 2 changing to vector 5-8-0."

Ghost: "Heh, looks like we might be in for a little bit more than a training sortie."

Too Tall: "I don't like the sound of that. Who the hell would be violating restricted airspace?"


End file.
